Veeam Endpoint and Windows Media Center

[bdoe]

Has anyone used Endpoint on a machine running Windows Media Center? I'm trying to use it to backup the whole system, which has Windows 7 on an SSD and a separate hard drive for recording. I've tried both entire computer backups and volume level. It will back up the SSD fine, but on the hard drive it is completely skipping the .wtv files in the Recorded TV folder. It will backup the temprec folder in there, so it does not appear to be outright skipping the directory.

Any ideas? I run Endpoint on plenty of machines at work, as well as other personal systems, and have never seen it skip files, especially not volume level. I've tried resetting the database in hopes it was a configuration problem. The only thing I can think of that hasn't been tried yet is a backup when WMC is closed, but even if the files were open I thought Veeam could handle it. They are also OTA recordings, not cable with DRM, although that shouldn't affect it either.

[Mike Resseler]

I have never used it on a Windows Media Center.

On the volume level, we actually do automatic skipping of certain paths and files, however, I have not heard of the .wtv exclusion. We exclude these: temporary files folder, Recycle Bin, Microsoft Windows pagefile, hibernate file and VSS snapshot files from the System Volume Information folder.

What is the directory that those files are stored in?

Thanks

Mike

[bdoe]

I have the folder at the root of the drive, so D:\Recorded TV. There's nothing but several hundred .wtv files in there. I believe I saw it did also copy a second folder at the root of the drive, but that one is empty on the HTPC. I do need to place some other type of file in Recorded TV, but I found it odd it seems to be purposely skipping the recordings.

[Mike Resseler]

Bryan,

Yes, I have the same. I do find it strange also. I can't find anything that would explain why we exclude those files... Please add some additional folders with more "regular" files on the D-drive and let us know if those are protected and recoverable... That would exclude already a few possibilities to start

Thanks
Mike

[bdoe]

I was able to work with it some more last night. I changed it back to a full computer backup first since that's what I'm hoping to wind up with. Here's what I found:

-a .wtv file in C:\Users\username\Downloads was backed up correctly
-Two *.exe files in D:\Recorded TV were not backed up
-A .wtv file in D:\otherfolder was backed up
-Closing Media Center made no difference

So it appears that .wtv files are not the problem, but Recorded TV is. Any idea why that would happen with a full computer backup? I didn't look too hard at the permissions but it appeared normal. I've also never seen an entire folder missed in a full computer backup.

Now, it is a big folder - around 800 recordings and maybe 3TB in use. The backup location (a network share) has plenty of room, though. There's no other activity going on during a backup (nothing being recorded, no recordings being watched). None of it seemed like anything out of the ordinary for Endpoint, I've got a few workstations at work with 2+ TB.

[Mike Resseler]

Bryan,

In all honesty... I have no idea why that is happening. But then again, we never tested Windows Media Center and it is not in our supported matrix. I assume that all of your other workstations are backing up fine with VEB?

So our last resort here... Please log a support call. It is free but comes on a best effort basis (no SLA) and I hope they want to look at the logs (since it is not a supported OS...)

[bdoe]

Yes, every machine I've used VEB on has been working well. It's just this machine that's given me problems, and it figures it'd be a personal one. To be clear, it's just 7 Home x64, but running Media Center. I'll go ahead and submit a case....I almost did but was hoping there'd be something quick. Thanks!

[Dima P.]

Bryan,

Thanks for posting. Please open the support case and let me know the case ID. I'll ask QA team to take a look at your case.

[bdoe]

I tried submitting a case from within VEB today, but it wouldn't recognize my e-mail and let me submit. I tried using my work e-mail since that's already with Veeam as well as a personal one, but after getting the email and using the link it wouldn't work. Is that the only way to submit a VEB case?

I did browse through a few logs searching for reference to Recorded TV and didn't find anything.

[Dima P.]

Bryan,

I'll ask support team to get in touch with you. Can we use your forum's contact email address?

[bdoe]

Yes, that'd be fine. Thanks!

[Dima P.]

Thanks! Support folks are aware and will try to reach you.

[bdoe]

Thanks, I just got the case number. Anyone ever tell you that you guys are awesome? You guys are pretty awesome.

[Dima P.]

You are welcome

P.S. Please don’t forget to update the thread with investigation results.

[bdoe]

It turns out the following registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot contains the Recorded TV path. It's apparently added by Microsoft. I wouldn't have expected that since recordings that require DRM (premium stuff, mostly) use PlayReady so only the machine that recorded it can watch. But at least now I know VEB was doing what it was told to all along!

[Mike Resseler]

Bryan,

That is interesting (and unexpected for me). I can't think of a reason why Microsoft would not want this is the snapshot... Any other rules in there that are different than on a standard windows machine? (Feel free to place them here or in a PM is also good...) I wonder if there are more differences

PS: Thanks for coming back to us with the solution and yes... We love our support team!

[bdoe]

It appears that my HTPC added the Recorded TV entry but otherwise is standard. It contains paths for System Volume Information, Outlook *.ost, Microsoft RAC, and SoftwareDistribution, as well as Recorded TV. A 7 Pro system here at work, without Media Center setup, has all of those except Recorded TV.

I may just go for a robocopy for those files and keep using VEB for the system. Or swap VEB to just file level. It's a simple system so a rebuild isn't bad - but I'll have an unhappy family if recordings are lost!

[Mike Resseler]

Did you already tried to remove that registry? I certainly would do an export (always a backup ) and then do the backup again. I'm convinced it will work without any issues